A countrywide campaign to focus attention on the vital importance of safeguarding in our national game will take place from Friday 30 September to Monday 2 October to promote ‘Play Safe’.
The Premier League will join the EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, as every level of English football shows its support for the Play Safe campaign, which is led by The Football Association and endorsed by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
Over the weekend, our men’s and women’s first team captains will wear Play Safe armbands to help raise awareness of the ongoing work by the League and clubs to support participants across all football activity.
This year’s Play Safe weekend focuses on the safeguarding role that everyone has to play – coaches, players, parents/carers, spectators or volunteers – to keep children and young people safe, no matter what the football setting. Everyone, everywhere, every time is encouraged to watch, listen, talk and act if they have any safeguarding concerns.
The Club and its Charity, City in the Community (CITC) embed safeguarding practices into everything they do, ensuring that Safeguarding is a key aspect of all work and programmes to deliver positive and safe experience for all participants, whether they are a two-year-old taking part in the City Play Together programme or a 75-year-old playing Walking Football.
The FA’s Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group (FASSSAG) continues to support Play Safe: “Creating safe environments in every football setting is a collective responsibility. It’s really important that every single person in football – no matter if they’re actively involved or on the sidelines – understands that they have an ongoing role to play. Knowing how to act on any concerns is vital and Play Safe is a key way to raise awareness so that everyone is vigilant and knows what to do if they become aware of any inappropriate behaviour.”
